Carpet sweeper with brush cleaning fingers



June 23, 1953 H, C, Y

CARPET SWEEPER WITH BRUSH CLEAN-ING FINGERS v Filed 0G19. 20, 1947 2 Shaets-Sheet 2 a my WL, TL N N L f R E/ 0 VL l N. T /C A 8W 3H w M.

Patented June 23, `.71953 'I .ITED PATENT UFF--IfClE A CARPET` sWEEPERi-WITH BRUSH CLEANING FINGERS Howard C. Lilly,l Sharon, Mass., vlassignor to "fMasury-Young Company, Charlestown; Mass.,

a corporationzofMassachusetts Applicant; loctobelfgo, 1947, seria1.N0.'7so,s92

Thisk invention relates to carpet sweepersl and has for one of its 'objectsto `prevent accumulations of 'lint,'threadand similarlbrous materials uponthe shaft yand bristles 'of the sweeper brush. 'According to this phase of my invention the design is such that the'sweeper isself-'cleaning in operation. g

Another object is' to combine with-such aj selfcleanng sweeper. meansfor maintainingY a suction 4or vacuum effect behind the brush whereby all 'debric drawn into themachine, including the brous `material.tendingto cling to the lbrush shaft an'dbristles, will becarried out of the machine without clogging the 'machine or otherwise Ainterfering with'the efliciency' of its action. According' to this. phase of' my invention rthe designis such. as toprovide in a single unit a machine which combines the advantages -of a selfcleaning carpet sweeper with those `of a'nonclogging vacuum cleaner.

Y Other objects' and advantages 'will appear as this descriptionrproceeds.

In attaining my objects, I provide a'housing open at` its under side tov the :carpet 'or lrugV and having Yat ,its upper side a hollow'handle connecting with a source of vacuum.

Near its ffront and rear'ends' the housing is providedwith pairs' of supporting wheels for frictional .contactwith the ,carpet'or other surface -asthe vmachine lis"ro"lled back and forth thereover by means of 'said handle.

Intermediate of said pairs of wheels the housing is formed-with abrushchamber communicating withusaid handle and within said ychamber-is mounted a tufted orrother sweeperbrush whichis rotated by. said pairs of wheels. A QFor. dislodging from the brushishaft and brush bristles any .li-nt, Athread or other brous'v material which tends to cling thereto while the machine is operating, I pivotally mount two sets "of spaced cleaning fingers behind the brush and between it and the exhaust passage from the brushchamber .tothe handle. These yiingers ,comme (c1. -388) automatically swing into'engagement with the brush shaft and thebrushy bristles, respectively, as the machine is movedin a forward direction over the carpetso as to dislodge debris therefrom and automatically vlift away from the brush shaft and bristles when'the machine is moved in a rearward direction so as to enable the suction to carry the .debris thus ldislodged from the shaft and bristles out throughthe exhaustipassage ofthe housing and. into any suitable collection receptacleassocated Y,with'the ,N

In the accompanyingvdrawings illustrating Lia preferred` embodiment of* -my invention:

Fig-ure; 1 isa side elevational -view,"partly \in section of a machineinaccordancewith my 'invention. Y

Iiigure-Zwis Aa top plan view, with the handle portion shown in sectionfand with a'rportion-4 of the top I'off the casing orl housing broken away-to more-jclearly'illustratethe relationship 1f-the 'bre dislodging *fingers vto-the rotatable frbrush and -brushshaft.

Figure 3 is a verticalfsectional sidey elevational view takenA on the line `3--l3 *of 1Figure rr2, l Yand indicated in 4dotted lines` theposition automatically assumed `-by -the 'ibreedislodging 'fingers whenthemachineis'moved; inaV rearward direction,-an`d `LFigure 4 is 7a 'vertical sectionalY elevationalL view,`

takenapproximatelylon the 'line' 4-"'4 of JFigure -3, the brush *drivingrollbeing shown inlsection.

VYReferring to "the vdrawings, |`0- designates Ia casing or housing, substantial-ly yrectangulai-*as viewed in plan, land having a "rounded top. Spacedapart from-the v4ends'of the housing It are vtransversely extending-partitions II Awhich denewith' the endwalls'of the-housing' -a pair of chambers 'I2. `VI/ithineachwcha'mlber I2 at the upper end "thereof and yintegral with the housingflllisaweb I3 (see-Fig 1). `Ineach-of thejpartitions" l'I "centrallythereofis -anf opening I4, generally 'rectangular in form and rounded-'at thetop.

'Forme'd integral with the'housing til-and vextending ''b'etweenthepartitions Il yand spaced apartfrom each other^and on veach side ofthe openings "I4 are longitudinally extendingpartitions or walls I5'Y and r`I6- defining 'abrushchamber I'I. Chamber I1 extends transversely lofl the housing IU and terminates in `an exhaustopening I8 at' the upper centralportion Yof `the Vhousing which is provided withaicover I9 secured in'position son ythe housing 'by screwsz (see j-Fig. 3).

vSecured'iby screws 2l ltoithe lower-Ledge"ofv thewall I5 and to the' lower'edge ofthe housing I atlitsfront end is:ia"'p1ate"22. .Also-secured by. screws'23 'to4the lower 'edge ofthe 'wall' I6 and to inthe" lower edge ofthe-housingHI'll-at'its rear end is a plate 24. Plates'22'andi24-close theunder side 7of the housing'in'the yregions designatedand function as skid plates.

Withintlie chambers I2 4andsecured by screws 25k (see Fig. r4) to ,the underface ofthe webs `I-3 are langle brackets 26, ,.onelin' each chamber I2, Secured4 toglthe ,downwardly extending vportion of each angle 'member 26, a-s'by rivets 2'1,'an"d lying parallel with the bottom of the housing I0, is a plate 28. Adjacent each end of each plate 28 and pivotally 4attached thereto, is a link 29 (see Fig. 1), and to the lower end of each link 29 is secured one end of a spring 30, the other end of such spring being attached to the lower end of a downwardly extending portion of each angle shaped member 26.y Intermediate the ends of each link 29 is pivotally attached one end of a bearing member 3I, the other end thereof being formed as a bearing 32.

There are thus two pairs of bearings 32, one pair at the front of the housing I0, and one pair at the rear. Rotatably mounted in the pair of bearings 32 at the front of the housing I0 is a shaft 33, and to permit this shaft to extend between the two bearings 32, the p-artitions II ad-Y jacent the wall I5 are cut away, as indicated at 34 (see Fig.3).

Similarly, in the pair of bearings 32 at the rear of the'housing I0 is a shaft 35, and to permit this shaft to extend between the two bearings 32, the partitions Il adjacent the wall I5 are cut away, as indicated at 36.

. Secured tc the shaft 33 adjacent the ends thereof and located in the end chambers I2 is a front pair of supporting wheels or rollers 31. Also secured to the shaft 35 adjacent the ends thereof and located in the end chambers I2 is a rear pair of wheels or rollers 38. The wheels or rollers 31 and 38 are all equal in size and diameter. When in position in their respective bearings 32, the shafts 33 and 35 lie parallel to each other and the springs 30 tend to draw the shafts 33 and 35 toward each other.

On the downwardly extending portion of the angle shaped members 28 and below the plate 28 and on the inner face thereof is secured by means of screw 33 a stub shaft 40 (see Fig. 4). There is one stub shaft at either end of the housing I0 and such shafts are in axial alignment with each other. l

4I designates a brush shaft or body having formed integral therewith and at each end a cylindrical driving member 42. Each cylindrical member 42 is less in diameter than the diameter of the wheels 31 and 38 and when in position members 42 are engaged and driven by the peripheral faces of the wheels 31 and 38 which are maintained in driving engagement therewith by the springs 32. The outer ends of the cylindrical members 42 each have formed therein axially of the cylindrical members 42 and the brush body 4I, a recess 43 in which the stub shafts 40 detachably seat. The brush body adjacent the cylindrical members 42 is reduced slightly in diameter to permit free movement in the openings I4.

Inserted into the brush body 4I about its periphery, and along its length, are tufts 44 of hair, bristles or other suitable material.

When the apparatus is moved to the right, as viewed in Fig. l, the wheels or rollers 31 and 38 rotate in the direction of the arrows shown thereon, and consequently the brush shaft or body 4I rotates in the direction of the arrows shown thereon, and the tufts 44 engaging with the surface of a carpet or rug sweep the dirt upwardly into the exhaust opening I8.

Secured to the top of the wall I6 by screws 45 and lying parallel to but spaced apartfromeach other, are forwardly extending bracket members 46. Secured to the bracket memberslll and' extending parallel to but above the brush shaft'or body 4I isV a vpivot shaft 41. Hl'ivotally., mounted amaai? -v e l f,

on shaft 41 and extending forwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, and with their forward end riding on the brush shaft or body 4I is a plurality of spaced cleaning fingers 48. These fingers 48 are Iso spaced on pivot shaft 41 with relation to the tufts 44 as to ride on the brush body 4I between said tufts, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. Spacers 49 may be employed to maintain proper spacing between the ngers 48.

Also pivotally mounted on shaft 41 and extending forwardly, as viewed in Fig. 3, is a plurality of cleaning fingers 50, these being spaced Valong the shaft 41 so as to be normally in posivtion to be engaged by the tufts 44 as the brush rotates, and being shorter than the set of ngers 48. Y

The fingers 48 and 50 are shown in normal operativeposition in full lines in Fig. 3, and to maintain such fingers 48 and 50 at all times in proper position relative to each other, I provide the shaft 5I which extends through the fingers and lies parallel to the shaft 41.

When the apparatus is being pushed in a forward direction, or to the right as viewed in Fig. 3, the fingers 48 and 5|] are in the full line position and the freeend of the lingers 48 ride on Ythe brush body 4I and the lingers 5I) are in po- I8 and 50 so that when the machine is moved in a rearward direction such debris willbe tossed into the area of greater suction by the movement of the fingers to their dot and dash position, which movement is accomplished by the rearward motion of the machine causing the brush and brush shaft to rotate in clockwise direction and thereby elevate the fingers.

The cover I9 has rotatably mounted thereon a cylindrical sleeve 52 (see Fig. 3) rotatable on a horizontal axis. This sleeve has two openings, an opening 53 at the top and an opening 54 at the bottom. The opening 541at the bottom registers at all times with an opening 55 in the cover I9. The sleeve 52 has secured thereto a fitting 56 to which is attached the lower end of a tubular handle 51. 'I'he handle 51 is connected by tube 58, to a source of vacuum by means of which suction is maintained through the apparatus and through the handleA 51 in the directionof the arrow.

The coverV I9 has formed therein a Ymilled groove 59 (see Fig. 3) in which the head of a rivet 68 in the cylindrical sleeve 52 is guided. Secured to the cover I9 is a latch spring 6I which when the handle 51 'is in vertical position engages with the rivet head 60 and holds the handle 51 in an upright position when the machine 'is'v not in operation. Y Y f I Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1.,In a carpet sweepenthe combination o-f ay housing, a brush rotatably mounted therein Yand having a cylindrical body and a plurality of tufts extending radially outward therefrom, a common pivot shaft in parallel spaced relation to said brush, two series of fingers pivotally mounted'on said shaft and extending into the brush with one series of fingers in engagement adjacent their ends with the body of the brush and the ends of the other series of ngers in engagement with the tufts of the brush. a'shaft lying parallel to said common shaft and extending through-said two series of vfingers for locking the series of fingers together to actas a unit in pivoting on their common shaft, whereby upon rotation of the brush in a direction toward the ends of the ngers librous material collected on the brush will be removed therefrom and led outwardly of the brush and upon movement in a direction away from the ends of the lingers said two series of lingers will rotate as a unit to a positionY outside the path of said rotating brush.

2. A combined vacuum cleaner and sweeper comprising a wheeled housing, a brush extending transversely of the housing and rotatable by the wheels of the housing as the machine is moved over the floor, a suction chamber at the top of the machine above the brush, said chamber having walls converging to an exhaust passage adapted to be connected with a. source of vacuum, and a plurality of pivotally-mounted brush-cleaning lingers between the brush and the exhaust passage, the lingers engaging the brush to strip librous material therefrom when the brush is rotated against the ends of the lingers, and the lingers swinging outwardly of the brush when the brush is rotated in the opposite direction, at least some of the lingers being longer than the width of the suction chamber so as to span said chamber when moved outwardly of the brush.

3. A carpet sweeper comprising a wheeled housing, a brush extending transversely of the housing and rotatable by the wheels of the housing as the machine is moved over the floor, said brush having a cylindrical body and a plurality of tufts extending outwardly therefrom, a plurality of long and short brush cleaning lingers disposed in spaced substantially aligned relation transversely of the housing, means for supporting said fingers for rocking movement about an axis parallel to and spaced from the brush, the long fingers extending into contact with and resting upon the cylindrical body of the brush between the short lingers in xed relation to the long lingers, means formounting the support for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to and spaced from the brush to cause the tips of the long lingers to rest substantially tangentially on the brush body between tufts and the short lingers to comb through the outer ends of the tufts, when the brush is rotated toward the lingers, the long and short lingers being rocked as a unit outwardly of the tufts when the brush is vrotated away from the lingers.

HOWARD c. LILLY,

References Cited in the lile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,420,830 Frankenstein June 27, 1922 1,565,174 McAnerney Dec. 8, 1925 1,764,626 Heckman June 17, 1930 1,886,950 French Nov. 8, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 157,754 Germany Jan. 21, 1905 563,570 Germany Nov. 7, 1932 

